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5 Kitchen Gadgets You Didn’t Know Went Digital

We’re living in a digital world, so it’s not surprising that ordinary kitchen tools have gone high tech, too. In addition to programmable coffeemakers and digital thermometers, there are a number of gadgets that help simplify some of your more old-fashioned, time-consuming culinary ways. Here are five of the latest food-prep devices you may want to put on your holiday wish list.

1. Smart Slow Cookers Have you ever started the slow cooker and left home for a few hours only to realize you’ll be gone longer than you thought? Smart slow cookers can sync with your smartphone, allowing you to adjust the time and temperature remotely. Some models have stirring mechanisms, or automatically shift to the warm setting when the cooking is complete.

Did You Know?

80%of all U.S. households own a grill or smoker.

2. Remote Thermometers Barbecue lovers, rejoice! Say goodbye to standing over a hot grill or smoker, continuously checking the temperature of your meat, poultry or fish. Instead, arm yourself with a remote thermometer that works with a grill or smoker, and you can check the temperature from 100 to 200 feet away on your smart device.

3. Digital Deep Fryers Take the guesswork out of frying vegetables, chips, doughnuts and more with digital fryers. After you’ve programmed the device and put the food in, the timer indicates when the food is ready, and then shuts off the machine. One model even uses less oil than usual, taking some of the guilt out of making (and eating) fried foods.

4. Two-in-One Measuring Cup and Scale With this multitasking gadget, you get a measuring cup and a digital scale in the same device. Add one of five pre-set ingredients (flour, sugar, milk, water or oil) to the measuring cup, and it’ll automatically convert the amount from weight to volume, displaying it digitally on the cup’s handle. It’s a great gizmo for fine-tuning your recipes or for converting Grandma’s handwritten favorites into user-friendly versions.

5. Digitally Programmable Bread Makers Forget the kneading, rising, watching and waiting: With high-tech bread machines, you place the ingredients in the machine, press start, and walk away. You can even choose how dark you’d like the crust, and whether you’d like fruit or nuts added to the mix after the kneading. Preset some models at night and wake up to a freshly baked loaf in the morning.